Drying machine having centrifugal units



Sept. 2, 1952 s. 1.. VITALE 2,609,100

I DRYING MACHINE HAVING CENTRIF'UGAL UNITS Filed April 1947 2 SI-IEEfIS--SI-IEET 1 S. L. VITALE DRYING MACHINE HAVING CENTRIFUGAL UNITS Sept. 2, 1952 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 Filed April 2, 1947 3nventor fi/a/e Patented Sept. 2, 1952 I UNITED STAT DRYING MACHINE HAVING CENTRlFUGAL UNITS 1 "Samuel Vitale, Detroit, Mich. v Application April 2, 1947, Serial No. 738,853

This invention :relates to drying machines having' centriiugalxunits.

iOne object or this invention is to provide a drying machine which is especially welladapted .to the rapid and thorough drying; of wet articles, such as;f-reshly-washed vegetablesor the like and which will handle such articlesin a convenient cycle or operations.

.Another object is to provide a drying machine forrdrying wet articles which is arranged for substantially continuous operation and for handling large quantities of the wet articles, yet which is capable :of operation by a single operator.

.Anotherobject is to provide a drying machine,

asfset forth in the preceding objects wherein the drying receptacles are arranged upon a turntable zwhere'by one receptacle is being filled with the wet garticles while another is being rotated to :expel the ,waterand a third receptacle is being unloaded by the operator.

.Another object is to provide a drying machine, as set forth in the preceding objects, wherein the water is expelled rapidly'by a centrifugal action Ironr-a rotatable perforated receptacle which is also :tiltable for unloading purposes.

Anotherobject is to provide a drying machine, asset forth in the preceding objects, wherein the machine is provided with a power-operated receptacle-rotating device at a drying station to which "each of a plurality oi receptacles may be Claims. (01. 210-63) moved'byzrotatin a turntable, another station being employed forfilling ,the receptacles and a third .for unloading the receptacles after drying hastaken place.

In the-drawings:

.Figurelis a front elevation oiadrying machine according to .a preferred form of the invention, with the upper portionnf the nearest drying receptacle broken away todisclose the receptacle behind'it;

Figure :Zisatop plan view of the drying machine .showninFigure 1;

figure 3. is aside .elevation of the receptaclevrotating device at the drying station, with the clutch in longitudinal section; and

figuredisanenlargedtop plan view of aportion vof the turntable immediately beneath one of the drying receptacles.

Hitherto, the drying of freshly-washed vegetables .-in .large quantities .has presented .great .difiicul-ties, particularly the problem of drying the vegetables at ,a .suiiiciently rapid speed without .damaging them. Anotherdifficulty to the rapid dr.Ving-.-0f vegetables by apparatus usediordryin ether ..articles .;has been, that heat vis not conveniently used because of the danger of wilting the vegetables, especially green vegetablesysueh as spinach, broccoli, endiveparsley, watercress or the like. Such prior methods and apparatus for drying green vegetables has also not been adaptable to the mass handling of large quantities of vegetables without the employment-of an nn necessarily large labor force, with consequent high expense for the drying operation. I

The drying machine of the present invention eliminates these diiiiculties and solves the prob;- lem of the mass drying of :resh1y-washed.vege+ tables by receiving the washed vegetables-in rotatable receptacles mount d upon 'a turntable which is itself rotatable to diiierent stations a single operator, operations being carried 91. 1 simultaneously at each-of these stations. While one of the receptacles is being filledwith 1311i? freshly-washed vegetables .at .a loading station, another receptacle is bein rotatedat a drying station to expel the water ,centrifugallyrhhdla third receptacle is being. tilted at, an unloading station and its vegetables removed to a handling or packing table or chute. Tith turn abl a ndexed so th t t can be l cked-i any-ci as stations. The ng de ic is-attachabl to and detachable from thereceptacles at the drying stati n m y y raising and werin th devics and co p n or un ou in the driving m mber thereof. Since no heat is employed thereis no dama e o gr e ve e a an th mainrpo tion of the water is expelled quickly and easily withoutcausing any bottlenecks in the vegetable cleaning and packing process, as has hitherto been thecase v Referring to the drawings in detail, 'Figures 1 and 2 show a drying machine generally desigflnated Ill, accordingto a preferred form brine invention, as consisting of a turntable, upon which a plurality of receptacles i2 are rota t ably mounted. The receptacles I! are filledat the loading stationby a loading device [3 and rotated at the'drying station by a rotating device M. The dried vegetab1es-in he receptacles I 2 are unloaded at an unloading station onto a receiv; ingjtable or chute I5. .The l ading devi e [.3 .forms 9 pa t 9f th presentinvention andmay c n is ammit able loading machine. As showniFiguresl 2), theloadingdevice [3 consists of? vertically inclined frame [6 (the upper, portion only b ng shown) in which is journaled .a eirof shafts I1 (one only being ,shown). carrying drumsjlor sprockets I8 over which a belt conveyor i9li s trained. {Oneof 1. .11.6 .Shfiifisfl is power driveri as by a pulley 20 (Figure 2) from any suitable prime mover, such as an electric motor (not shown). It will be assumed that the vegetables being carried upward on the belt conveyor I9 have been previously washed by conventional machinery forming no part of the present invention, and that, accordingly, the vegetables are very wet. As the vegetables pass upward on the conveyor I9, they are prevented from falling off laterally by side plates 2| forming a part of the frame I6, the side plates 2| having downwardlyinclined extensions 22 forming sides to a delivery duct 23, in the form of a chute or spout. Water-spraying devices are ordinarily mounted above the belt conveyor I9 to additionally spray the vegetables with water as they are carried upward by the conveyor I9, but these spraying devices form no part of the present invention and are accordingly omitted from the drawings.

The turntableII consists of an approximately square frame structure 24 formed of channel members 25 secured at their corners to one another. Two of the opposite channel members 25 are interconnected by spaced parallel channel members 26 which in turn are interconnected at their midpoints by plates 21 (one only being shown) which serve to support a vertical journal bearing 28. .Mounted in the journal bearing 28 is a pivot shaft or pintle 29 projecting upward from a pedestal 30 which has a flange 3| bolted as at 32 to the floor 33 of the building in which the machine is mounted.

, Bolted as at 34 to the underside of the frame structure 24 at each corner thereof is a wheel mount35 in which is journaled an axle 36. R- tatably mounted upon the axle 36 is a wheel or roller 31, each axle 36 being aligned with the axis of the pivot shaft 29. Since the axles 36 are thus radially mounted, the wheels 31 travel in tangential directions in a circular path on the floor 33 with the pivot shaft 29 at its center.

Mounted inside each corner of the frame structure 24 and bolted thereto as at 38 (Figure 4) is a support 39 for a vertical pivot shaft, bolt, or stud 40. Mounted upon each support 39 is a rotatable collar 4| upon which rests a U-shaped frame 42 of channel cross-section, the abovedescribed structure being held in assembly by the head 43 of the pivot, bolt or shaft 40, aided by a washer 44.

Mounted upon the frame structure 24 is a cir cular plate or table 45 forming a floor for the turntable II. In order to index and lock the turntable 45 at its various stations, a plate 46 with an indexing notch 41 is bolted as at 48 (Figure 4) to the frame structure 24 at each corner thereof. Bolted to the floor 33 are spaced shaft bearing brackets 49 and 50 in which is rotatably mounted a shaft carrying a locking arm 52 at a location opposite the'stopping point of the indexing notch 41. Also mounted upon the shaft 5| is the hub of a foot pedal 53, the latter being urged upward by a coil spring 54 which therefore normally urges the locking arm 52 into the indexing notch 41.

The U-shaped frame 42 at its upper ends is provided with outwardly-bent portions 55 having vertical holes '56 therein for engagement by the rotating device I4, as described below. At an intermediate point, the U-shaped frame 42 is provided with horizontal bearing bores 51 (Figure 1) which rotatably support trunnions 58 secured to the opposite sides of the receptacle |2.- The receptacles I2 are also provided with recesses 59 for receiving locking pins 60 mounted 4 on hand levers 6| which are pivoted at 82 to the U-shaped frames 42 and are provided with handles 63 urged outward by coil springs 64 in order to normally urge the locking pins 60 into their recesses or sockets 59. The locking pin 60 passes through a hole 65 in the U-shaped frame 42 before entering the recess or socket 59. Each receptacle I2 consists of a. casing 66 of cylindrical form open at the top and bottom and provided with the trunnions 58 and locking pin sockets 59 previously mentioned. Mounted within the casing 66 is a perforated container or basket 61, the walls of which are spaced away from the adjacent walls of the casing 66. The container 6! is open at the top and is provided with multiple holes 88 in the side and bottom walls thereof for the escape of the water. The U-shaped frames 42 are also provided with anchoring pins 69 to which are secured the lower ends of springs I0, the upper ends of which are hooked to downwardly-projecting driving pins 1| mounted in the outer ends of a rotatable driving bar I2 forming a part of the rotatingdevice I4. The springs I0 thus prevent accidental dislodgement of the driving pins II after they have been inserted in the holes 56 in the U-shaped frame member portions 55.

The rotatable device I4 has the rotatable driving bar I2 secured as at I3 to a hub I4 mounted on the lower end of a vertical shaft I5 (Figures 1 and 3). The shaft I5 is journaled in a vertical bearing bracket I6 and to its upper end is secured the hub of a bevel pinion 11. The bearing bracket 16 is mounted in a horizontally-projecting portion 10 forming part of a box-like frame struc ture I9. Mounted in the frame structure I9 is a bearing bracket 80. Journaled in the bearing bracket is a horizontal shaft 8| to the outer end of which is secured a bevel pinion 82 meshing with the bevel pinion I1. Secured as at 83 to an inner portion of the shaft 8| is a thrust collar 84. Loosely and rotatably mounted on the shaft SI and engaging the collar 84 is the hub of a driving pulley 85 having an internal conical clutch portion 86 thereon. The pulley 85 is driven by a belt 81 from a pulley 88 upon the armature shaft 89 of an electric motor 90 mounted upon a bed plate 9| on top of the frame structure 19. A driving connection between the pulley 85 and shaft 8| is made by means of an external or male cone clutch member 92 (Figure 3) which is movable into and out of engagement with the internal conical clutch portion 86 by means of an annularly grooved collar 93 which is keyed or splined as at 94 to the shaft 8|. The collar 93 and male clutch member 92 are shifted into and out of clutching engagement with the clutch portion 86 by means of a shifting yoke 95 which is mounted upon a pivot shaft 95 journaled in the frame structure 79. Also mounted on the shaft 96 is a hand lever 91 by which the shifting yoke 95 may be shifted to and fro. A link 98 pivotally connects the hand lever 91 with an operating arm 99 mounted on the operating shaft I00 of a brake unit IIII. The operating shaft I00 is provided with the usual devices such as cams (not shown) for urging a brake band I02 into contact with a brake drum I03. The brake band I02 carries ears I84 by which it is pivotally connected to an arm or bracket I05 projecting upward from the top of a bearing bracket I06 in which the rearward end of the shaft 8| is'rotatably mounted. I

In order to raise and lower the rotating device I 4, the frame structure I9 is provided with laterally-projecting portions I01 which in turn are which 'theimachine. is installed: :iSecured zto azthe supper portion.of..the.framestructure l9si'sgaibail- .Z lie .rodielil ll of .approximately;atriangula shape to.the apex l..l.l.of.which the :eyel-l l2 ofa'ir'ajisih .and .loWen-ingfiexible .memberu-IEIB is attached. "The .member- I.I.3 .(Eiguresl ndiB) may. consist f- :a .r'wllle-i'able or ..a .chain 7.130 which a regimen i cnalitchain-hoisting. mechanism not shown) is kat'iached; V

The receiving chute I (Figures 1 and 2) is mounted upon vertical frame members H4 and is provided with an upwardly-inclined bottom portion H5 leading to a horizontal bottom portion H6, the bottom portions H5 and H6 being bounded laterally by side wall H1. The receiving chute H5 is preferably made of stainless steel, Monel metal or other material over which the vegetables will slide easily and which will be clean and sanitary and easily washed.

In the operation of the invention, it will be assumed that the wet vegetables are being continuously conveyed up the belt conveyor l9 and dumped into the duct or spout 23, which guides them into the receptacle I2 which is adjacent the loading station of the machine. While the loading is occurring, a previously-loaded receptacle I2 is drivingly connected to the rotating device M by lowering the latter upon the former, inserting the pins 1| in the holes 56 and locking these in place by the springs I0 (Figure 1). The clutch-shifting lever 91 is then thrown so as-to engage the clutch members92 and 86 so that the motor 90 rotates the shaft I5 and the cross bar 12. This action rotates the U-shaped frame 42 around its pivot shaft or bolt 40, causing the water in the vegetables to be expelled by centrifugal force through the holes 68 in the basket GI. The water striking the inside of the cylindrical casing 66 is deflected downward through the open bottom thereof and discharged.

When the vegetables have been sufficiently dried in this manner, the operator unhooks the springs I0, disconnects the pins H of the driving bar 12 from the U-shaped frame 42 and, by operating a chain hoist (not shown), raises the rotating device I4 out of contact therewith. He then depresses the foot pedal 53 to swing the locking arm 52 out of engagement with the indexing notch 41, whereupon he pushes the turntable H around to the next station. This brings the receptacle I2 in which the vegetables have just been dried into registry with the receiving chute I5, whereupon he releases the foot pedal 53 and locks the turntable in this position. He'then lowers the driving device I4 and reconnects it to the receptacle I2 which has just been loaded and moved into position beneath it, in the manner previously described. He then turns on the power so as to rotate the receptacle I2 and expel the water.

While the water is being expelled, he returns to the receptacle I2 which is opposite the mouth of the receiving chute I5, operates the locking lever 63, 6| to pull the locking pin 60 out of the recess 59 and tilts the receptacle I2 downward into the position shown at the right-hand side of Figure 1. This enables the vegetables to be transferred from the tilted receptacle l2 to the receiving chute I5, in a quick and easy manner, aided by a trowel or similar hand tool. After the tilted receptacle [2 has been emptied of its FWhatTclai-mis:

resource 6 vegetables, it :is again i swung 'into' the vertical positiongand thelockingpin tflsreinserted the 1"CCSS"59 "The turntable is' then rotated tc the next station and th foregoing operations re-- peatedi I l. A drying machine -comprising'a turntable having ;a--p1 urality of vertically d'isposed=beafings spaced 1 in a circular path outwardly from {the center thereof, a --plurality of open=sidedframes having bearing-engaging "portion rotatably mounted in said. vertical bearings, each *frame having' 'a pair-of spaced vertical uprights disposed on oppositesidescof.theaxis.of its respective bearing substantially in a plane passing through the axis of said-bearing, each' fram e'lraving a pair of horizontally-disposed*ccaxiaftrminion bearings mounted thereon, a perforated vertically-disposed receptacle having trunnions positioned on the sides thereof intermediate the upper and lower ends thereof, said receptacle being tiltably mounted in said trunnion bearings in each frame, each of said frames having a coupling-receiving portion thereon, said trunnion bearings being mounted on said uprights, a latching device mounted on said frame and engageable with said receptacle in its vertical rotatable position, and a power-driven receptacle rotating device having a power-transmitting coupling thereon mounted adjacent said turntable in successive registry with each of said frames upon rotation of said turntable, said coupling being selectively engageable with and disengageable from the coupling-receiving portion of each of said frames upon arrival of each frame in registry with said coupling.

2. A drying machine comprising a turntable, a plurality of U-shaped frames rotatably mounted on said turntable and having trunnion bearings mounted thereon, a perforated receptacle having trunnions tiltably mounted in said trunnion hearings in each frame, a power-driven rotating device selectively engageable with said frames for rotating said receptacles, and a latching device mounted on said frame and engageable with said receptacle for latching said receptacle in its rotatable position.

3. A drying machine comprising a turntable having a plurality of vertically-disposed bearings spaced in a circular path outwardly from the center thereof, a plurality of U-shaped frames having bearing engaging portions rotatably mounted in said vertical bearings on said turntable, each frame having a pair of horizontallydisposed coaxial trunnion bearings mounted thereon, a perforated receptacle tiltably mounted in each frame, and a power-driven rotating device selectively engageable with said frames for rotating said receptacles, said rotating device including a motor, a rotary shaft, a rotary cross bar connected to said shaft and having its outer ends selectively engageable with the upper ends of said U-shaped frames, and power-transmitting mechanism drivingly connecting said shaft to said motor.

4. A drying machine comprising a turntable having a plurality of vertically-disposed bearings spaced in a circular path outwardly from the center thereof, a plurality of U-shaped frames having bearing engaging portions rotatably mounted in said vertical bearings on said turntable, each frame having a pair of hor'i'to'ntallydisposed coaxial trunnion bearings mounted thereon, a perforated receptacle tiltably mounted of said frame.

in each frame, a power-driven rotating device selectively engageabie with said frames for rotating said receptacle, said rotating device including a motor, a rotary shaft, a rotary cross bar connected to said shaft and having its outer ends selectively engageable with the upper ends of said U-shaped frames, and power-transmitting mechanism drivingly connecting said shaft to-said motor, and a detent engageable between said cross bar and said frame for separably looking said cross-bar to said frame during rotation SAMUEL L. VIVTALE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

Number 8 UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Heberer Apr. 28, 1896 Dorer Oct. 30, 1906 Adt May 7, 1907 Howard Jan. 5, 1915 Rittenhouse Feb. 8, 1921 7 Harrison et a1 Jan. 1, 1935 Schmelzer Sept. 1, 1936 Rabst Mar. 26, 1940 Crewdson Aug. 21, 1945 Tholl Sept. 11, 1945 Borg Oct. 15, 1946 

